Obama's Dangerous Flip-Flops On Missile Defense

Missile Defense: The administration beefs up our Alaskan-based interceptors it once downgraded in response to North Korea's threat, while ending the final phase of the Europe-based defense against Iran it once supported.

We welcome the Obama administration's decision to place an additional 14 ground-based interceptors (GBI) at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., by 2017, as well as a second TPY-2 phased-array X-band long-range missile defense radar system in Japan following North Korea's deployment of a new road-mobile missile.

We are reminded that if President Obama hadn't scuttled President Bush's plans, these added interceptors would already be in their silos. Obama plans on boosting that force from the current 30 to 44.

The Bush administration had deployed the first GBI at Fort Greely in 2002 and planned on at least 55.

As a candidate, Obama said he wouldn't support "unproven missile defense." He canceled Bush's plans and cut back GBI deployment to the current 30.

The failure to dissuade Pyongyang from advancing its nuclear and missile program through sanctions, concessions and diplomatic pressure, one of many Obama administration foreign policy flops, has led us to the point where North Korea is a serious threat and the White House once again has to change its position.

An administration official said the North Korean missile threat was much less sophisticated when Sen. Obama was running for the White House and those who criticize the change of plans are engaging in "Monday morning quarterbacking."

Well, we have been consistent in supporting missile defense — the administration has not — and we would suggest the administration has taken its eye off the ball regarding North Korea.

The announcement, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative speech, comes as Adm. James Winnefeld, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon on Friday that North Korea's new, road-mobile KN-08 ICBM has emerged as a threat "a little bit faster than we expected."

This raises our concerns regarding administration assurances about the pace of Iran's nuclear and missile programs, which have included cooperation with and technical aid from North Korea.

Iran's Shahab missiles are really Tehran's version of the North Korean Nodong missile. Working with North Korea, Iran developed the Shahab-3 missile that can deliver a one-ton payload over a distance of 1,000 miles and is developing missiles that can target Europe and the U.S. — as well as Israel.

See Also

The Republican majority's budget plan — enacted in a blitz of votes before lawmakers rushed home for spring break — tells us which Republican presidential hopefuls are serious about halting the nation's soaring debt. Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky voted against the ...

Regulation: A public Consumer Complaint Database solicits anonymous, unverified gripes against banks from consumers at the behest of Acorn front groups — despite studies showing such complaints are mostly baseless.The administration says the government-sponsored rumor mill is designed to ...

Iran: At the eleventh hour before the Tuesday deadline, Tehran negotiators predictably changed positions and demanded new concessions. Unfortunately, unlike Ronald Reagan, President Obama won't be walking away. As the world's leading terrorist sponsor state, which for years has sought nuclear ...

Propaganda: The overreaction by politicians and advocacy groups to Indiana's religious freedom law is distressing enough. Worse is the fact that big companies are now amplifying the disinformation campaign.Apple CEO Tim Cook wasn't the only business executive to condemn Indiana's law, but he was ...

Presidential hopeful Bobby Jindal is taking heat for proposing barring foreigners for belief in "radical Islam." But even the Obama administration is having to "raise awareness" about "child abuse" tied to such immigration and belief. "We shouldn't tolerate those who want to come and try to impose ...

Select market data is provided by Interactive Data Corp. Real Time Services. Price and Volume data is delayed 20 minutes unless otherwise noted, is believed accurate but is not warranted or guaranteed by Interactive Data Corp. Real Time Services and is subject to Interactive Data Corp. Real Time Services terms. All times are Eastern United States. *Reflects real-time index prices.